Distant Strangers
by Becky953
Summary: The NCIS team must solve two seemingly unrelated cases. Tiva and McAbby eventually.
1. The Haunting

"I just loved that movie." The four girls linked arms as they skipped along the sidewalk. It was nearing midnight and all of them were still giddy and jumpy from the latest slasher film they had just viewed. "It was easily the creepiest thing I've ever seen." The tallest of the four was obviously the leader and took control of the group. "Let's go to the Pit and see if there's anyone else around." It was formed as a question but none of the other girls would have ever dreamed of disagreeing. 

"I think we should cut through Parker's field." The youngest, but the most fearless, of the four suggested. They all agreed and crossed the street to the deserted field. A wide field, with parts of an old dilapidated hotel still gracing one corner, it was still owned by some eccentric millionaire who refused to sell the field commercially and let the land be developed into something more economically fitting. Instead it ran the length of the entire main street and was an eyesore to everyone in the community. The girls slipped through one of the many holes in the chain-link fence and started across the field toward the Pit, which was on the next street over, a hangout for the local teenage kids. As they neared the old abandoned building the youngest girl, the one who had suggested the shortcut came up with another brilliant idea. "Let's go in to the old Parker Hotel." The other three girls glanced nervously at each other. Neither one of them felt quite that brave so soon after watching the movie they had just seen. Up until now the other two hadn't said much choosing to follow along. 

"I don't know Maggie. That's probably not such a hot idea. I mean who knows what kind of creepy bugs might be in that old place." Casey was a chicken but didn't want to admit it so she copped to the old girl technique. Complain about the bugs.

"Let's do it!" Lila thought this was a fabulous idea and knew that if she said they should do it then they would. As the unofficial leader of their group she was unofficially in charge and they mostly did what she wanted. 

"Aw crap." Max muttered to herself. So far she had stayed out of the conversation but she couldn't very well back out now, she would be forever labeled the 'wimp' and probably even ostracized from their little group. High school girls could be so cruel. Resigned to the fact that they would have to spend at least an hour traipsing through that creepy hotel she trudged after the other three, all the while hoping they would change their minds.

"Ew, gross." I think I just saw a spider the size of my fist. Casey huddled closer to the other three girls, she would be damned if she was going to get separated from them. 

"Shh, can you hear that?" Maggie cocked her head to the side and tried to concentrate. "There it is again." She glanced at Lila who strained to pick out the faint noise. 

"It's coming from down here." 

"Wait!" Max brought the other girls to a halt. "Do you really think we should go down there?" She peered down the narrow hallway. Identical doors lined the hallway which was still decorated with a Berber carpet and cream and roses wallpaper. The decor had long since faded but was still somewhat reminiscent of it's glamorous past. With a withering look at Max, Lila started toward the sound. Silently, the four girls crept down the hallway and paused outside of room 315. The door was slightly ajar so all Lila had to do was give it a gentle push. Four pairs of eyes peeped around the door frame into the old hotel room and four horrified girls started to scream. In the center of the old room was a queen sized bed and upon that bed there was a man, a very dead man, who appeared to have some type of sword sticking out of his chest and who also happened to wear the dress of a Navy Marine. On the floor next to the bed a cell phone vibrated against the worn carpet, neither one of the girls noticed as they ran away from the gruesome sight.


	2. The Shining

**Note:** It's a little short because I'm still learning how to use the site to post stories.

**Disclaimer:** Forgot to add one to Chapter one so this disclaimer is for both Chapters. I don't own of these characters they are all property of whoever writes them :D I just own the idea for this particular case.

     "DiNozzo, crime scene photos. David, McGee, you're with me." Gibbs quickly and efficiently dispersed his team over the crime scene as he slammed the doors of the NCIS van. He strode toward the local law enforcement officer who was going to take them inside the old hotel. Tony followed behind, snapping pictures of anything that seemed pertinent.

     "This reminds me of a movie." They all groaned as Tony stared in awe at his surroundings. He lifted his arms over his head as if he were clutching an Axe. "Ziva, I'm coming!" She laughed out loud. Even she understood the reference to _The Shining_, this wasn't the first time Tony had talked about this film and she usually made it a point to watch the movies that were such an influence on him.

     "Tony, I really don't think this is the time or the place." McGee was always the voice of reason in their trio. They went through the main lobby and turned right to the staircase that would lead them one floor up.

     "Why on Earth would four teenage girls come into a vacated hotel so late at night?"

     "Well, Ziva. It's a teenage thing. They like to frighten the crap out of themselves to prove that they're tougher than they actually are." Tony fondly remembered times during his own childhood that he had done some pretty stupid stuff to prove that he was tougher than the other guys. "Once, when I was fifteen, I was dared to..." _thwack_ "sorry Boss, I was just getting to those photos. Grimacing at a smirking Ziva he lifted his camera, he shot a quick glance at Gibbs to make sure he wasn't looking and took a quick close up shot of her face, the light nearly blinded her but as she reached toward him to retaliate Gibbs called out to her from a room down the hall.

     "David. Whenever you're ready!" She sent a malevolent glare at Tony and hurried into the room with the dead petty officer.

      It was a few hours later before the NCIS team was finally back at Headquarters. In the bullpen Tony sat at his desk wadding pieces of paper and aiming them at McGee's garbage bucket. He was a bit off his game that evening, missing seven out of ten shots. Ziva sat at her desk and seemed to be waging a one person war against her computer. She muttered quietly to herself but Tony could hear enough of what she was saying to know that it wasn't in English. She must be really mad to be swearing at the machine in a different language. When she abruptly pushed her chair back and reared her fist McGee jumped up and hurried toward her. "Ziva, wait." he moved her to the side and bent over the keyboard. With a few keystrokes he had the program running smoothly again. "You can't pull a Gibbs on the computer every time it doesn't do what you want it to do." He admonished her.

     "What exactly does _pulling a Gibbs_ mean McGee?" With a guilty look on his face Tim turned toward his Boss' desk. He hadn't been there a minute ago, where had he come from?

     "Sorry, Boss, I just meant..."

     "Don't apologize McGee."

     "Yes, Boss. Sorry, I mean..." McGee trailed off, it was hopeless. Someday he would learn not to apologize for every little thing but it was a hard habit to break. When you grew up as the neighborhood geek you learned to apologize or get the crap beat out of you on a regular basis.

     "DiNozzo. I hope you've been doing something other than shooting paper balls at McGee all evening. Tell me what you've got." Tony jumped from his chair and grabbed the remote, an official looking Navy picture filled the screen.

     "Petty Officer John Meeks. Deployed to Iraq thirteen months ago, returned home less than one month ago. Married, no kids. Wife has a solid alibi." When Gibbs looked at him as if expecting more Tony continued. "She was at the Mother-In-Laws house the night our Petty Officer died." Tony shuddered at the thought of a Mother-In-Law. His one brush with the big M was scary as hell and something he wasn't interested in repeating anytime soon. His thoughts inevitably veered towards Jeanne. Subconsciously he could hear Ziva and McGee briefing Gibbs but he let his mind wander a bit. Sometimes he had himself convinced that he actually had loved her, but most times he knew that it wasn't Jeanne that he loved but rather the idea of Jeanne. Tony loved the idea of being in Love. All his life he had never really known what it was like to be loved. For his parents he was an oddity. Something that they never quite learned what to do with. Then there had been the myriad of women who paraded in and out of his life. There was never any constant in his life other than his job and as long as he worked for NCIS there wouldn't really be anything else.

     "DiNozzo, did you take a vacation? Go home, there's nothing else to do tonight." Tony looked suspiciously at his boss. Lately he had been nicer to him than usual, something was definitely up.


	3. The Sunrise

**Authors Note**: First of all I would like to thank Mel, Dracoisalooker76 and Sweetcheeksncis for leaving a review. I really appreciate them. Also, constructive criticism is always welcome, I'm an English Lit major so I'm used to it, lol. A special note for Mel, no need to worry, I'm going to make Tony and Ziva sweat it out a bit before either of them admit what we've know all along ;).

Again, this is a short chapter. I had planned to add more to this one but as I re-read what I had written I decided it would be better left the way it is, you'll understand when you read it. Since I have only written three short chapters in the last two days, tomorrow I will have either a nice LONG chapter or several short chapters. Enjoy! XOXOXO.

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, I still do not own anything belonging to the wonderful people who bring us such a fabulous show.

* * *

Tony sat in his car and looked up at the building that housed his apartment. He sighed and grabbed his field bag from the passenger seat, there was nothing waiting for him in the place he called home. As he unlocked the door he let himself think of what it might have been like if his whole relationship with Jeanne hadn't just been about work. If they really had been a couple then he might be unlocking the door to a cute little bungalow and slipping into a bed already warmed by his lovers body. Instead it was closing in on five am and he was opening the door to an empty apartment and falling into a cold bed. A guy quickly got used to having someone there for him and it was hard to let that feeling go, no matter how wrong he knew it was. He slipped beneath the covers of his bed and faced the window, the sun was just starting to rise. Before he could forget Tony set his alarm for ten am and then lay back to watch the sunrise through his bedroom window.

Several miles away Ziva unlocked the door to her own apartment and covertly scouted the surrounding buildings. Ever since she had learned that her father had been spying on her she took special precautions to make sure it never happened again. She had warned him that what little connection they shared would be severed had he continued his unauthorized surveillance. She glanced at her watch as she kicked the door closed behind her, almost five am. She locked the door and made her way to the kitchen intending to find something to eat but the thought of cooking something for herself at this time of the day seemed ludicrous. Ziva sighed and made her way to the bedroom, no matter what country she was in it seemed that she was destined to be alone. Some days she wished that she had at least one close friend that she could talk to, Abby was probably the closest thing she had to a friend and even they barely knew each other.

"There's no use crying over spilled milk." She muttered to herself and then grinned, Tony would have been proud, she was almost one hundred percent certain she had gotten that saying right. As she stripped out of her clothes she set her mental alarm clock to wake her up at nine am, she could get a few hours sleep and then get a run in before it was time to be back at work. She climbed beneath the covers and turned with her back to the wall, facing the only vulnerable spot in the room -her window- the sun was just beginning to rise. Her mother had always told her that dawn was a time of new possibilities. As she slipped into sleep she smiled at the sunrise that heralded the start of a new day.


	4. The Morning After

**Authors Note:** I'm still a little bit in shock that anyone is actually reading this story let alone commenting on it :D. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it really is appreciated. Also, I'm a little confused as to why my paragraph indentations disappear when I upload my document. Any helpful hints? This chapter is a little short too but it won't be the only chapter to go up today. I'm working on more even as you read this. No worries about Tony and Ziva though, they won't be melancholy all throughout the story, we've just caught them at their weakest moment. Tony will be driving Ziva "_up the hall_" soon enough.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters of NCIS... unfortunately. Because, if I owned them Tony and Ziva would not be still dancing around each other.

* * *

When Leroy Jethro Gibbs strode into the bullpen several hours later he wasn't in the least bit surprised to find Tony already at his desk working on the case. "I thought I told you to go home, DiNozzo." Gibbs placed his gun and holster into his desk drawer and glared at Tony. It was look designed to make grown men wet their pants, it almost had that effect on the teams senior field agent.

"I did Boss. Couldn't sleep much so I came back early." with another withering look Gibbs jogged up the stairs, past Mtac and managed to make his way around a rather belligerent Cynthia.

"Agent Gibbs, you can't..." she trailed off, it seemed pointless to tell him he couldn't just barge in on the Director of NCIS but Cynthia was nothing if not persistent. "The Director..." she tried again but her protest fell on deaf ears, he was already pushing open the door to Jenny's office and literally closed it in Cynthia's face.

"Gibbs." Jenny turned from her position in front of the window. She had been thinking, daydreaming a little if the truth was to be told. She regarded him with a small smile and a sparkle in her eye. "Cynthia is only doing her job. Most of my agents would never dream of walking into the Directors office without being announced first.

"Yeah, well. Most of your other agents, hell, none of your other Agents have seen you naked." Jen raised one perfectly arched eyebrow. Images of Paris flashed through her mind and then they were replaced with images of the previous evening. She grinned at him. "You left early this morning." He commented and waited patiently to hear what she would say. Jen leaned back against the front of her desk and faced him.

"Contrary to what you may believe Jethro, I cannot show up to work in the same outfit I wore yesterday. I'm sure that would give Cynthia a little too much to think about." They smiled at each other, neither one willing to break the connection but knowing they had to get down to business. Their relationship had started up again not long after Lt. Colonel Mann had re-located to Hawaii. Fearing that it would be too late, and they would be in nursing homes walking with the aid of a cane, if she had waited for Jethro to make the first move; Jen had showed up at his house one night and reminded him why they had always been such good partners.

"We're going back through Petty Officer Meeks' last month, we will find out what happened to him Jen," Gibbs refused to fail when it came to solving the murders of members of the United States Navy.

"Jethro?" He halted at the door and turned to look at her. "Talk to the..."

"Wife? Yeah, I know Jenny." He gave her that quirky little smile and shut the door quietly behind himself. When she was alone in her office she could let the ecstatic grin sweep across her face. So far they had been good at keeping their burgeoning relationship a secret but they both knew they were on borrowed time. Sooner or later someone would figure it out, someone would notice the fact that Jethro was happier than he had been in a long time and that they weren't constantly jockeying for alpha position anymore. Sooner or later.

**I just wanted to explore with Jenny and Jethro a bit. They aren't the center of this story but are, of course, an integral part of the dynamics of the NCIS team. The Mama and the Papa if you will. I will get back to Tony and Ziva and the case in the next chapter.**


	5. The Verdict

**Authors Note:** Thanks again for the reviews and Vamp for noticing my MTAC mistake :D. It's been a crazy couple of days with school and work. Have to do spend some time doing something which will pay the bills ;). This one is longer than the others but I'll warn you the chapters probably aren't going to get much longer than this or I'll only be able to post every couple of days. I'm having a lot of fun writing this so I hope you're having just as much fun reading it.

**Disclaimer:** Again, I own nothing except the first four seasons of NCIS on DVD :D I just finished watching _Sub Rosa _so I might think of a way to integrate McGee's butt tattoo in here somewhere.

* * *

Tony was working hard to make himself look busy when Gibbs jogged back down the stairs. There really was something weird going on with the Boss. He was actually smiling, and as far as Tony could tell the coffee cup that sat on Gibbs' desk was almost full. He watched as Gibbs grabbed his coffee and walked toward the elevators, he was presumably going to see Abby or Ducky. Mentally shaking his head he heard the elevator ding, signaling the arrival of one of his co-workers. He really hoped it was either Ziva or McGee. Sure enough Ziva came into view, her orange watch cap like a beacon on the top of her head.

"Zee-vah!" Tony couldn't wait to tell her what had happened on his way back to work. "You'll never guess what happened to me on my way here." He waited expectantly for her to ask but didn't get a response. "Hello?" When he waved his hand at her she jerked as if she hadn't known he was there. She quickly pulled the ear buds from her i-pod out of her ears.

"I am sorry Tony. I did not hear you." Her voice never ceased to amaze him, it was like single malt scotch, smooth with a hint of smoke. If he thought she was serious about hooking up he would definitely be tempted to break Gibbs' rule number twelve.

"Guess what happened to me on my way to work?" She seemed to ponder this for a moment as if she were actually going to try and guess.

"You're car broke down and three, no make that four, beautiful women who also happen to be mechanics stopped to help you?"

"Well, no." Although that was an intriguing idea. "It does have to do with a woman though." Inwardly she groaned but from the look on her face no one would ever guess that she was anything but slightly interested. " As I was walking past a fortune teller she grabbed my hand and told me that my opportunity to get my soul-mate was passing me by. I asked her what she, my soul-mate not the fortune teller, looked like and all she said was 'orange'. I guess that means the woman has orange hair. What do you think?" Ziva reached up and pulled the watch cap off of her head and stuffed it in her bag, she gave a noncommittal shrug as if she didn't have a clue what the woman meant. "Do you think maybe she meant red hair? Ha, just call me Gibbs, I've got a thing for red-heads." Tony grinned as he thought about his bosses obsession with red-headed women. "Ow!" Tony rubbed the back of his head where Gibbs had just smacked him.

"The case DiNozzo. And where the hell is McGee?" Tony and Ziva looked around. This was unusual since McGee was always on time. As if on cue the elevator doors dinged open and Timothy McGee hurried toward the bullpen. The three other agents stared, McGee was only half dressed, his shirt was not tucked in his tie wasn't knotted and his jacket was slung over one arm while he balanced a coffee in the other hand. Gibbs and Ziva were a little shocked at McGee's appearance, the other agent was usually groomed to perfection before he showed up to work. Tony, on the other hand, recognized that rumpled look, that was the 'I have a woman but don't want anyone else to know look'. McGee was keeping secrets from him. Gibbs' phone rang, while he was distracted Tony used that time to interrogate his favorite Probie.

"Well McGeek, who is she?"

"Who is who Tony?"

"The woman Probie, and don't tell me there isn't one, I can tell." He tried his charming, 'let's be friends and confide everything in me' smile.

"I think Tony might be right, after all he is the master at keeping women a secret, Yes?" Ziva had wandered over to McGee's desk and was now as interested in the answer as Tony. So intent on watching McGee that she didn't appear to notice Tony flinch at the subtle reference to Jeanne.

"It's nothing you guys, I was just um, writing, it kept me up after I went home and I didn't get much sleep."

"Speaking of which, what is Officer Lisa up to these days?" Tony asked. McGee paled slightly and seemed to realize his error. He should have never brought up the book, now they would spend the whole day hounding him about Agent Tommy and Officer Lisa. Gibbs dropped the phone back in it's cradle. They all turned to look at him expectantly.

"Autopsy," When they just continued to watch him he grabbed his coffee and walked toward the elevator without them. "Now!" McGee breathed a sigh of relief at being let off the hook maybe he would get a bit of a reprieve and they would forget about the book. "That includes you too, Agent MacGregor."

"Now, Jethro. We do have ourselves a bit of a puzzle. At first glance one would assume that the good Petty Officer had been stabbed to death. Further examination showed that our Petty Officer was already dead when the sword was impaled upon him. I think perhaps you ought to visit Abigail to get the results of the poor man's tox screen." Ducky turned to the Petty Officer who was laid out on the autopsy table and then back to Jimmy Palmer. "Mr. Palmer, perhaps you could pass me the sword?" He waited while Jimmy gingerly picked up the sword and handed it to him. "Your murder weapon is a fine replication of a Japanese Katana. The Katana is a single-edged sword and an original would date back to the time of the Samurai. This reminds me of a time in 1979 when we found a body in an alley-way. The poor woman had been decapitated with a sword like this." Ducky held the weapon up to the light in order to examine the sword a little more closely "in ancient times decapitation by sword was reserved as a corporal punishment for noblemen only, in fact..." he turned to ask Gibbs a question and was only mildly surprised to find himself alone.

* * *

"What do you have for me Abs?" The team piled into Abby's lab en masse and waited to see what she would tell them.

"Gibbs! How did you know I had something? I was just going to call you." Abby was truly mystified that Gibbs always managed to manifest just at the time when she found some important piece of information. "So, I just got the results back from Petty Officer Meeks' Tox screen. His blood contained traces of D-hyoscyamine and L-hyoscyamine. Atropine Gibbs." He stared at her blankly.

"Bella Donna. A plant found in the western hemisphere. It can be used to paralyze a person, temporarily anyway, before ultimately causing death." They all turned to look at Ziva with a little bit of awe and a healthy dose of fear.

"It's creepy how you know these things Ziva." Tony said with an exaggerated shudder. Abby smiled at his antics and returned to her computer. With one biker boot resting on the table beneath her computer she leaned closer to the screen.

"Petty Officer Meeks would have experienced hallucinations, blurred vision, loss of balance, flushing, and his skin may have turned pale only to quickly break out in a red rash. He would have appeared to be really really sick Gibbs. He would have felt sick enough that he might have accepted help from the wrong person." Abby turned toward the others with a worried look, her ponytails swinging around her face. It never ceased to amaze Tony that a person as covered in body art as Abby could manage to look so innocent. Gibbs leaned toward Abby and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry Abs, we'll catch whoever did this."


	6. The Debt

**Authors Note:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed. There are a few Hebrew words in this text that I had to use an on line translator for so I apologize if they aren't exactly right. Thanks to those who reviewed chapter 5... Vamp: We'll find out soon enough why McGee is rumpled, lol. Sweetcheeksncis: Thank you. I try my hardest to keep the characters accurate, they are perfect the way they are and I could never hope to improve on perfection. Lorelai: glad you're enjoying the story.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own them. sigh

"_Present Arms"_

"_Fire!"_

It was several days later when Gibbs and the team stood together, watching as Petty Officer Meeks was laid in his final resting place. The winds were high and the flags that decorated Arlington cemetery flapped briskly in the wind. As the funeral ceremony came to an end, Petty Officer Meeks' family mourned his loss, Ziva thought of something she had heard someone once say in reference to Arlington, they had told her that it was a place where "valor proudly sleeps."

Those words had seemed apropos at the time and she hoped that someone had told his family that it didn't matter that he hadn't died in combat, A US marine showed valor just by being a marine. They had no leads so the body had been released back to the widow, essentially the case had gone cold. A feeling in Gibbs' famous gut told him the widow had had something to do with it. With cold eyes he watched her across the grave site. She was clutching the arm of her mother-in-law, the same woman who said they had never really been overly fond of each other so she had been surprised when Daisy had called and requested that they get together. To Gibbs that just reeked of staged alibi, align yourself with the one person who would have no reason to lie for you.

"_Present Arms!"_

"_Fire!"_

* * *

The sound of the second rifle volley snapped Ziva out of her reverie. She hated funerals, they inevitably reminded her of Ari. It had been a windy day then as well. She had stood by herself next to Ari's graveside in Tel-Aviv. Her father had told her he could not attend the funeral of someone who had betrayed his country. She had pleaded with him, the one and only time she had ever begged anyone to do anything for her. Ziva hadn't wanted to go by herself, knowing it was her bullet that had put him there. Part of her wanted to hate Ari for what he had forced her to do, but the other part loved him because he was family. She had lost Tali and now she was burying her brother as well. Her family was dwindling and she could do nothing to stop it. It was then, as she stood there by herself watching his casket lower into the ground that she had steeled herself against her father's easy dismissal of his son. She knew that if she had been the one to die he probably wouldn't have come to her funeral either. Then she thought of Jen and the others in the NCIS family, for they were a family even if they weren't connected by blood. Standing next to her brother's grave she decided she needed to get away from Mossad for a while. She tossed a handful of dirt onto Ari's casket "_Shalom, akhi." - Peace, my brother- _she whispered almost to herself. Turning away from him she pulled out her cell phone.

Another memory assaulted her, this one from her time in Cairo. Images of a burning building in the distance as she and Jen stood on a balcony hundreds of yards away. The NCIS agent had turned to her then

"I owe you Ziva, you could have let me go into that building, in fact you would probably be better off if you had." Jen turned to face the younger woman. They both knew what would happen to Ziva if her father found out she had warned Jen.

"I am not my Father Jen, I do not believe in killing for the sake of killing. The innocents must be spared." It was Ziva's attitude that had drawn NCIS agent Jen Shepperd to her in the first place. She had been prepared to dislike the Mossad officer before she had even met her. Anyone related to Director David was probably as cold and heartless as the man himself, or so she had thought. She had been surprised to find that she enjoyed Ziva's company very much and she was even more surprised to find that she respected the Mossad officer as much as she respected her previous partners. "You should have been told about this operation months ago, if I had not caught you before you left..." her words trailed off. Jen had been working undercover as an American translator for almost a year working with an Egyptian arms dealer who masqueraded as a lawyer. Ziva had shown up at Jen's apartment early that morning and had strongly suggested she stay home from work. By noon they were watching the remains of the law office burn on the horizon.

As she left Ari's grave it was those four words that flashed through Ziva's head. "_I owe you, Ziva."_ with that in mind she dialed a number she had memorized long ago. When the line connected she uttered a sentence that under normal circumstances she would never have even dared to think.

"Jen? I think I am ready to collect on the favor."

* * *

"_Present Arms!"_

"_Fire!"_

The third rifle volley brought Ziva careening back to the present. It had been three years since that phone call to Jen and she very rarely regretted it. At NCIS she had found a family, people who cared if she was alive or dead, well or sick. The sound of the bugle cut into her thoughts, the eloquent and haunting notes of Taps. Unique to the United States military it never failed to send chills down Ziva's spine. Next to her Tony felt the quick shudder.

"Are you cold, Ziva?" he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his attention focused on the casket as it slowly lowered into the ground.

"I am fine, Tony. Just a...'" she paused as if to find the right word, "quiver?"

"Shiver, Ziva." He absently corrected her.

"Ah, yes. A shiver." As the bugle ended and the mourners began to vacate Arlington, Ziva turned to Tony. "Why exactly are we here? Is there something Gibbs is not telling us?" Tony watched his boss as Gibbs watched the widow. He knew that it burned in Gibbs' gut that they hadn't been able to find anything that linked the widow to Meeks' death. She had been solidly alibied. Even now as she stood dry-eyed, accepting the flag from the military chaplain, Gibbs knew that she was somehow involved.

"Ziva, there are always things that Gibbs is not telling us. Why should now be any different." Gibbs, Tony, McGee and Ziva all stood together, watching as the widow moved slowly toward them.

"Agent Gibbs. I didn't expect to see you here." Her voice was soft, melodic, which suited her petite frame. "Thank you for coming to pay your respects. John would have been honored." She looked meekly down at her sensible black shoes.

"I just wanted to let you know that we are going to keep working on your husbands case. I wanted to reassure you that we would not close his murder investigation until I find out what happened and who did this to your husband." The words were meant to be soothing but there was an edge of steel underneath that told anyone who was listening that he would not stop until the person responsible was caught. The widow Meeks looked quickly up into Gibbs' eyes.

"Then I wish you luck with your investigation." Ziva inhaled sharply at the look in her eyes. They were cold and calculating. The eyes of someone who knew they had gotten away with murder.

"Oh, we won't need luck Ma'am." Gibbs told her as he gave her a half smile that told her he knew exactly who was responsible for her husbands death. Turning on his heel he walked toward their car, the rest of the team falling into place beside him.

"Now there's a woman who would like to rip your heart out and feed it to rabid dogs, Boss." Tony grimaced at the thought.

"Ya think, DiNozzo?"

**There, how did you like it? Sorry about all the flashbacks but I wanted to get all that in. Hope you enjoyed it :D**

**This quote was found at the website for Arlington National Cemetery. I thought it was too perfect to leave out. It sums it up, ya know?**


	7. The Wounded Bear

**Authors Note: **Hmmm... well, according to kdip4014 I've made a small error :D So if you get confused as to why I don't refer to PO Meeks as a Marine anymore it is because it's not a Marine rank. Therefore he is heretofore a Naval Officer. To Vamp, I should have been a bit more clear, you won't find out for a few more chapters why McGee is rumpled. :D

I had the day off which is why I'm putting up two chapters today, I was in the mood to write. Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine.

* * *

The bullpen was quiet. Ziva, Tim and Tony were all trying to avoid Gibbs as much as possible. Ever since the previous day in the cemetery he been acting like a wounded bear.

"I do not think he should feel responsible for this." Ziva hissed at Tony as she leaned over his desk. Tony cast a quick glance at his boss who was taking his frustrations out on the computer. McGee was almost whimpering at his desk, trying to resist the urge to reprimand Gibbs for treating his computer like that.

"She's the one that got away, Ziva."

"She did not go anywhere Tony, how could she have 'gotten away'?" Tony sighed but was inwardly grinning. Who knew he would look forward to correcting Ziva whenever he got the chance.

"It's an expression, Ziva. It means she got away with her crime."

"But, DiNozzo, we are not sure that she is the one who committed the crime. She has an alibi." Although she argued in the widow's defense, Ziva knew in her gut that she definitely had something to hide.

"It's his gut."

"What about his gut?"

"It's telling him that she did it and he never ignores his gut." As Gibbs finally gave up on whatever he was doing Tony scrambled to find something to do at his desk so he would look busy. Ziva hurried back to her own desk and poised her hands over her keyboard as if she were typing something. The phone on Gibbs' desk rang and he answered it with an almost bark-like greeting. After only a few moments he slammed it back down and headed for the staircase behind Tony's desk. They all watched him go, the relief palpable in the air.

"This morning I was bringing Abby a Caf-Pow and Gibbs was down there asking her to re-run the partial print Abby got off the sword." McGee glanced toward the stairs to make sure his boss wasn't coming back anytime soon. "He got mad at her."

"At who, McGee?" Ziva was perplexed, there was only one 'her' that McGee could have been referring to but the idea that Gibbs could get mad at Abby... it rarely happened and when it did he almost always apologized immediately. It was fairly evident to them all that Abby was like a daughter to Gibbs, she was about the same age that Kelly would have been and loved their leader unconditionally. "Abby? Gibbs was mad at Abby?"

"Well, according to Abby, he apologized almost right after he yelled at her, but she was still pretty upset when I left her." He didn't add that he had left her lab with every intention of doing some yelling of his own. Gibbs should know better than to yell at Abby, she was the most sensitive of them all and would probably have been upset for days over this. Only the fact that Gibbs had been on-line ordering black roses calmed McGee enough to sit at his desk without saying anything. Gibbs would be forgiven soon enough. The phone on Gibbs' desk rang again and they all looked at each other, waiting to see who was daring enough to answer the bosses phone. After several rings the call ended and the phone on DiNozzo's desk rang instead.

"Special Agent DiNozzo." He listened intently for a few minutes and then hung up. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out his gun and badge and grabbed his backpack from the floor near his filing cabinet.

"What's wrong Tony?" Ziva seemed genuinley curious and he allowed himself a few seconds to just look at the concern etched on her face, wishing that sometimes she would show the same concern for his well-being.

"Bat signal Ziva, the Boss is already being contacted, time to go." As she gathered up her belongings he could almost see the confusion on her face as she tried to work that out in her head. Gibbs hurried down the stairs and hung up his cell phone. Grabbing his things from his desk he led the way to the elevator. Once inside he punched the button for street level.

"Lieutenant, Junior Grade Brian O'Neil. He's been missing for five months. His body just turned up in a popular summer camping ground. Some very avid campers found him and called it in." Tony was thinking about the kind of crazy people who would consider going camping at the first sign of Spring when Ziva leaned toward him.

"I have heard you say it before, but what exactly _is_ a 'Bat... Signal', Tony?" She pronounced the words very clearly as if she were trying make sure she said them accurately.

"Well, Ziva there's this movie, well more than one move actually, but the best one stars George Clooney and Uma Thurman as this really sexy..." his voice trailed off as the elevator door slid closed. Gibbs smiled, there really was something to be said for consistancy.


	8. The Doppleganger

Authors Note: It's been a while since I updated

**Authors Note:** It's been a while since I updated. Work has been crazy hectic, school, lining up career options for after graduation... etc. etc. I could go on forever. This is a very short chapter because this is something I've had sitting on my computer. I wasn't completely happy with it but then I realized that I'm not trying to win a Pulitzer. I'm just writing for entertainment purposes. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to everyone who added my story to their alert list. It's very flattering to open up my inbox and see that someone is interested enough in my story to want to know what happens next. After the season finale is over this evening I will probably start writing more as I start to experience withdrawals of my favorite show. Expect to see more of me in the coming weeks.

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine.

The yellow tape barricading the crime scene was crowded with people, Gibbs swore softly under his breath. "Damn reporters." He ducked under the yellow police line and approached the LEO who appeared to be in charge, the rest of the team followed. Tony slipped under the yellow tape first, then Ziva and finally McGee bringing up the rear with the crime scene equipment in tow. The officer in charge leaned casually against the hood of his car and barked orders at the others. He was drinking a coffee, and from the stacked pile of empty take-out cups next to him, Tony deduced he had been steadily drinking since his team arrived. As they approached he pushed off from the car and positioned himself behind a young man who appeared to be coercing a phone number from the park attendant.

"Hey, Savitzki. What the hell are you doing? Get me that address." He reached out and flicked the man on the back of the ear. Savitzki yelped and dashed off in search of the information his boss wanted. "Damned man would hit on anything if she stood still long enough." He caught sight of Gibbs and walked toward them. "You must be Special Agent Gibbs. I'm Detective Grady." He held out his hand to shake.

Pleasantries were exchanged and the two men turned to survey the scene. Grady gestured toward a middle-aged man sitting in the back of police cruiser and wrapped in a survival blanket. "He found the body when he woke up at 0500 and stepped outside the tent to take a leak. Damn near pissed on your Lieutenant's head. By the time he pulled himself together enough to get the park attendant half of the frigging campground had come over to take a look. There are footprints everywhere." He gestured toward the well-trodden ground around the body. We called you as soon as we realized he was Navy." He casually handed Gibbs an evidence bag, inside it there was a wallet. Gibbs snapped on a rubber glove and pulled it out, the picture on Brian O'Neil's drivers license was fairly recent, his hair cut short in the standard military cut, a stern un-smiling mouth but crinkles in the corners of his eyes that may have indicated he did more laughing then his smile would lead you to believe. Gibbs put the wallet back into the evidence bag, sealed it and practically threw it at Tony. The two men turned simultaneously to study the scene. Standing side by side they gripped their coffee cups in their hands as if they wouldn't release them if the Devil himself was in pursuit. Ziva blinked and nudged Tony.

"Does Detective Grady remind you of somebody?" She stage whispered. Tony gave her a somewhat blank stare and turned to study the Detective. He was in good shape for a man fast approaching fifty. His brown hair held tints of silver and his grey eyes held a mountain of knowledge and experience. He stood next to Gibbs, calling out orders and ignoring the ringing cell phone in his pocket.

Tony grinned, "Gibbs." The man in question sent a questioning look to Tony as if to ask what the hell he wanted. Tony just shook his head and started toward the crime scene his camera ready to capture the still snippets of murder.

**I just figured this would whet your appetite a little, lol. I think, but I'm not sure yet but there might be some wilderness-type surveillance in the future for our two lonely upholders of the law. I might have more this afternoon or later on in the week. Thank again for the reviews and for adding me to your 'favorites' lists. **


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